A friend from work started a blog. He first asked me about blogs a while ago and he would read this one and we’d talk from time to time. He has now taken the plunge.

Gavin is from South Africa. He keeps a cheerful demeanour and always has a story to tell. Here is his blog, Waterloo Idler:

I have been toying with the idea for a while and I thought now was as good a time as any to start. At least now, I thought, I can carry on writing and possibly help express some of the feelings and emotions that so many people are going through at the moment.

Maybe, just maybe, I can join the nameless masses and add some sort of a face to them - through writing about my own journey.
– Every journey, begins with the first step 27 Feb 2009

I learned something new this week. Joseph Atkinson directed, in his will, for the Toronto Star to be owned and operated by a charitable trust.

This would have put it into similar company as:

• The St. Petersburg Times owned by the Poynter Institute journalism school. Some of the profit from the for-profit Times goes to support the school. Nelson Poynter setup the institute in 1975 as the Modern Media Institute and all his shares wen to the institute after his death in 1978.
  – St. Petersburg Times History | From 1884 to present sptimes.com
• The Guardian published by Guardian Media Group, which is owned by the Scott Trust. After the death of his father CP Scott and brother Edward Scott in 1932 surviving son JR Scott set up the Trust in 1936 to avoid taxes on the estate and preserve the independence of the newspaper. The trust became a corporation in October 2008, because the non-charitable trust could, under law, only exist for a finite term.
  – The Scott Trust
• Delaware State News owned by the Independent Newspapers, Inc. for-profit trust, which is owned by a non-profit trust INI Holdings. Joe Smyth set up the holding company after a 1991 IRS ruling to allow it. All surplus revenue is reinvested in the operations of the State News and other newspapers Independent operates.
  – Independent Newspapers Inc. | Inspired by the First Amendment newszap.com

The will was not fulfilled because of laws brought in after Atkinsons’ death in 1948. The Wikipedia entry summarizes it (though needs citation).
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There was a town-hall staff meeting at work on Tuesday, the day after several people were laid off.

The publisher told us about the changes that they were making. He seemed a little uncomfortable and crossed his arms most of the time. It is understandable given the circumstances, laying people off is nowhere as tough as losing your job.

After the brief talk about upcoming changes, it was time for questions. There were loads of them. It is clearly a time of turbulence and people want to know how things will settle.

Some of the questions the guy answered reasonably normally. For other questions, it was surprising how little he knew or purported to know.

People asked how much the move would save. He said he didn’t know.

Now it is important to say you don’t know if you really don’t know, but that issue really is central to the making of cuts so maybe you really should know And if you don’t know, maybe you could say that you’d find out and report back.

The guy didn’t show much familiarity with our publication or website though he said he’d read them. When someone asked about Etc., he asked the editor what that was. Obvious answer many were probably thinking: “Uh . . . that is a section of the newspaper of which you are the publisher.”

I heard at the other paper earlier in the day, someone asked who there would run the website. The response was the people who normally do it. Oh, you already laid that guy off. Yikes. Don’t know how it really happened, but not a surprising story given the meeting we saw.

It kind of seems that there is no plan and no leadership.

After the meeting people were super stressed, several were crying and shaking there heads and talking in tones that revealed heavy hearts.

• Layoffs at the Rec, Spec, and Merc newspapers

The Waterloo Region Record laid off 21 people today as a part of 64 jobs lost at Torstar’s three other English language dailies, which are in the Metroland division.

I was at the meeting in the evening when the Record editor-in-chief made the announcement for the afternoon shift. Eleven jobs were cut at the Record and 13 were cut at the Guelph Mercury. Management eliminated the entire editorial production staff at the Guelph paper moving those operations to The Record.

The Hamilton Spectator reduced 35 positions from its staff.

Here are a few news reports:

The Mercury notified 13 staff members that they will be laid off. Two work in the distribution department at the paper. The rest were newsroom employees
[...]
Brad Honywill, president of the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union, which represents the affected Mercury staffers, said the news was “devastating” for his members.

He also said the moves will adversely affect the ability of the community to follow local events and to be informed citizens.
– Guelph Mercury cuts staff guelphmercury.com 23 Feb 2009

The Spectator is laying off 35 staff across the newspaper in reaction to the global economic downturn and the resulting slowdown in the media industry.
[...]
The Spectator layoffs represent 30 full-time jobs, or 7 per cent of a staff complement of 430. The layoff affects positions in the editorial, circulation, advertising, production and business units.
[...]
Layoffs at The Record are equivalent to 20 full-time jobs in a staff complement of 272. At The Mercury, it’s 13 of 85 full-time jobs.
– Spectator, two sister papers announce layoffs thespec.com 23 Feb 2009

Here is part two of my series of photos of inauguration day adventures. These show the afternoon and evening of Inauguration Day. That one above is of me and the capitol, but that happened later. Oh yeah you can look at Part One Inauguration day adventure in photos.

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While I was looking up information about the Lets Go! travel guides for a commentary on the provocative blog idea of merging the Times and Harvard, I found out about Harvard Student Agencies. I already knew about the book store at Queen’s, but I found more.

Most student associations at universities have business operations, but it is exciting to see those businesses serve a wider community or achieve great things. I plan to write more about the idea of university-related student run businesses.

For now here is a listing of links and description of various student business operations. (more…)

I heard Edwin Outwater, the music director of the K-W symphony, on talk radio a few weeks ago. I subscribe to his newsletter/blog. It’s good the symphony has such a good advocate.

He identifies a big challenge symphonies face in a recent blog post.

Let’s start with the word “symphony.” If you are not a symphony patron, does that word have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation? I think for many it’s a negative, because of its stuffy, snobby vibe. But there’s another romantic side to the word that I notice in contemporary culture. (Justin Timberlake, for instance, in his song “My Love” — “if I wrote you a syyyymmmphony.”) Can we turn the image of the symphony to the romantic thing Justin croons about in his song?
— Symphony edwinoutwater.com 1 Feb 2009

Jim Balsillie, Mike Lazaridis, Dennis Kavelman, and Angelo Loberto have settled on a financial penalty in the charges of backdating stock options to enrich themselves, The Globe and Mail is reporting.

The SEC announced Tuesday that RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie will pay a $350,000 (U.S.) penalty and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis will pay $150,000.

The largest penalties will be paid by former chief financial officer Dennis Kavelman, who agreed to pay $500,000 and be barred from acting as a director or officer of a public company in the United States for five years. Former vice-president of finance Angelo Loberto will pay $425,000 and also be barred from acting as a director or officer for five years.

The SEC said all the parties reached the settlement without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations.
[...]
“RIM and its highest executives engaged in widespread backdating of options which provided them and other employees with millions of dollars in undisclosed compensation,” Linda Chatman Thomsen, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, said in a release.
— RIM chiefs settle SEC charges TGAM 17 Feb 2009

It sounds pretty damning that, even though they neither admit or deny wrongdoing, as the Globe reports, the enforcement director says that they engaged in widespread backdating providing themselves and others with millions of dollars.

• RIM financial statement review and stock option grants 23 Dec 2006

Back in the middle of November I started a sourdough culture. Over the ensuing weeks, I made many loaves of sourdough bread as well as sourdough noodles, and sourdough pancakes.

I took photos of almost every loaf of bread I made. I posted the first nine a while ago, but didn’t for the later ones. These photos are from about two and a half months ago.

I don’t remember the details of some of these ones, but I had the photos uploaded, so here they are. Here is a white batch.

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This morning I ran in the 8km Re-Fridgee-Eighter of the Waterloo running series. It was hard going, but in the end I was glad I did it. Only a few days ago people at work mentioned it, which reminded me.

I signed up 40 minutes before the race at RIM Park and off I went with bib 291.

Mat was there to shoot it and Arnie was there to run. I also saw Don P. who had intended to run with his daughter, but missed running because of his injuries. Magda drove me to the race and took photos for me on my camera.

I didn’t get enough sleep nor did I get up early enough to eat and run properly on an empty stomach, but despite the challenges I got a charge of it and a not good, but not terrible 39 minutes gun time. I’ll have to wait to find out my chip time, which should be close because it is a small race and I was not far back at all.

I dressed light for the weather in nylon tracks and long sleeve running shirt with silk longs underneath. I wore thin knit gloves and my O ‘08 tuque. My head got sweaty and I kept warm. Never did I regret my sweet under-layer.

On the final stretch I tried to push it, but only passed one person. My nose was plugged and my stomach ached. My lungs heaved after I crossed the line. I sat down and wheezed asking for water. It was the worst I remember feeling after a race, but recovery came quickly.

I will have to prepare for the Sun Run it two months. It is the day after Lisa and Chuffy’s wedding wedding, where sleep may be short and stomach very well may pre-ache. Preparation will just fit well into a daily determination.